Introduction: Red Plastic Cup Party Light String
When designing the look of a new weekly night at a Chicago nightclub designed to emulate a house-party vibe, the ubiquitous red plastic party cup became the icon. Many elements were designed as decorations for the night using them, but one was especially simple and really stood out- plus we hadn't seen it done before. It's so simple and fetching, I hope others will be inspired to make a set of this fun string of lights, great for outdoor spaces!
Side note: I can't be sure, but in the years since this very popular Instructible made the internet rounds, there have been commercially produced sets of these string lights available for sale at many retail outlets. It's fun to imagine we may have had a part in their popularity, and they are very easy to make for yourself!
Step 1: Collect Your Materials
In order to make your very own string of party cup lights, you'll need the following:
- A string of C7 size "holiday" lights. This can be any length, or any number of strings you desire. We used clear light bulbs, though you could use colored lightbulbs or a different style plastic cup for a different effect.
- Plastic Cups. As many as you have sockets on the light string. 16 oz is the most common size.
- A drill with a bit larger than the threaded base of of your bulbs. 1/2" for a C7 bulb.
That's it!
You could also add an in-line dimmer to change the look or use twinkle bulbs to create a livelier mood.
Step 2: Prepare the Cups
Drilling one at a time, or several stacked cups at once, drill a hole through the center of the base of all your plastic cups. You may find that you have flaps of plastic hanging onto the edge of the drilled holes which you can easily remove by hand.
Step 3: Add the Lights
Insert each C7 light bulb base through the bottom of the plastic cup, from the inside so that the metal base extends out through the outside. Then screw the bulb into the socket where it will lock the cup into place. C7 light bulbs will not get hot enough to melt the cup, especially when used outdoors. Repeat with all your cups and light bulbs. Hang up your new string of party lights and call over the friends!
It's common to find strings of 25- 100 C7 bulbs, and with different spacing of either 6" or 12" between sockets, commonly. I think the effect looks best with about 12" between each light. You can also make your own string of lights with lamp cord and snap on sockets, or even prewired commercial holiday lighting for larger installations.
Enjoy!
online bulk source:
http://www.actionlighting.com/c7-c9-string-light-...
Party City has 16 oz plastic cups in 21 colors.
http://www.partycity.com/category/solid+color+tableware/paper+plastic+cups.do
Step 4: Another Example of This Idea
This turned out to be a great idea for decorating this rented park pavilion used for a wedding reception. The park's scenery in Utah was the main visual treat, but the pavilion had only bright work lights, which we kept off. These simple string lights were simple to install (and uninstall), and were compact to pack in our luggage (or ship). They created the perfect ambiance through the afternoon and evening. Party City also carries so many cup colors that you can use whatever the occasion calls for, blue and yellow in this case.
Runner Up in the
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1 Person Made This Project!
barking_spider made it!
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27 Comments
9 years ago on Introduction
Loving this design. Thanks for sharing!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
You are very welcome! It's such a simple project and they were one of the most talked about elements at the place we used them. I think they are the right amount of "fun" for a gathering on your deck or other outdoor space.
7 years ago on Introduction
Think I may copy this great idea to my party website if you don't mind - and yes of course I will link back to your page
Reply 7 years ago
Glad you like it! Thanks for sharing!
7 years ago
Dress up your alcoholism!
Reply 7 years ago
:)
7 years ago
Easy enough... Thanks open.
7 years ago on Introduction
Fine, thanks for showing it!
7 years ago on Introduction
Is it possible to make these type lights with the regular smaller Christmas lights instead of the C7 lights? I know I can order the C7 lights but I wanted to get started on these sooner rather than later and hate waiting on things to be shipped!!
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
Anything is possible! That said, I don't think there is enough light output from mini light to make the cup glow, but you could easily test that out if you have a string of those lights and a cup. You may also have issues keeping the mini light stuck in the cup. My honest suggestion is to be patient and use C7 lights rather than potentially wasting time or materials. Best luck and let us know if you have success with the mini lights!
8 years ago on Introduction
What size cups did you use? Were they SOLO cups or just generic? Thanks.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
16 oz. cups are what we used for this example and are the most common size. These red cups I think were Target generic. Party City has them in 21 different colors. http://www.partycity.com/category/solid+color+tableware/paper+plastic+cups.do
8 years ago on Introduction
Thanks. This guide was quite useful for me .
In Indonesia it was called as "Lampion"
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Glad to help!
8 years ago on Introduction
I'm going to make these for my porch. Wondering about the purple ribbon type string of lights .. did you make those? I like those too and searched around to find something similar but haven't found anything.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Ah, what appears to be purple ribbon lights is actually called belt lighting, wired with four channels to do a chasing effect, and not really intended to be strung. They appear purple only from the ambient lighting. What I would recommend is often referred to as festival lighting or light strings. There are many options currently available for them including LED bulbs that look very similar to the incandescent options. Here's a starting point:
http://goo.gl/Vt0Xcf
http://goo.gl/Oe3rgY
http://goo.gl/7391Zd
http://goo.gl/Z44wZC
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Wow, looks like the 'belt lighting' is a little more than I wanted to spend and a little too complicated.
The Edison strings are nice tho. Thanks for the quick reply !
8 years ago on Introduction
This is a great idea. After events I take my cup home to reuse or recycle, now I have another reason to reuse them. Thanks.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Thanks! These never fail to create an atmosphere for very little effort. You could get a great number of looks with any number of upcycled disposable cups.
9 years ago
I hope they play "red solo cup" every day they're up.